First Annual Potluck Recognition Dinner Huge Success

       Numerous recipients from each age group were recognized for their personal accomplishments including National Ranking, Junior Olympic Finalists, and participation in National level competition.  The audience buzzed as Shipherd announced the swimmers who are currently being recruited by some of the most prestigious Universities and the scholarships they have been offered.  In addition to the swimmer recognition awards, many of the new swimmers who recently joined the team were introduced. The outstanding reputation of The Armada swim team has contributed to attracting swimmers from over a twenty mile radius of the La Mirada Splash Aquatics Center resulting in a sustained growth over the past year in all age groups. “The outstanding facilities at La Mirada Splash as well as the accomplishments of Armada swimmers,” explained Shipherd, “have contributed to the impressive growth of the team.” Coach Shipherd added that there is still room for growth and encouraged all families to promote the swim team to their friends and neighbors.

       The recognized accomplishments of the Armada athletes are achievements designed to be entirely objective, goals that are achieved or not!  The recognized accomplishments are centered around a national and international system of measuring each swim of every athlete around the nation and the world relative to one another.  Each Armada swimmer is rewarded for swims that score 600,700,800 or 900 points on that scale.  900 scores are the top 1percent performers in an event.  Scores for the age group kids are ranked against all USA Age group swimmers, regardless of age; while the senior athletes are rated against all swimmers regardless of age throughout the world in long course events only.

      The second recognized achievement measures an athlete's ability to swim all events and distances, a kind of best all around award.  Again, all the athletes around the nation receive scores in six different individual events, after which the total becomes their individual IMX

score.  The Armada recognizes scores of 3000 or higher on IMX for the purposes of the recognition dinner.

 who made their first sectional championship.  For the age group swimmers the final category of recognition is reserved for those who make a final at the JO level.  The evening is concluded by recognizing the college bound swimmers.